Landsknecht

Catalog No. 1147B

Pottery, threaded relief, 1.0L, pewter lid.

A Landsknecht was a feudal serf used for military purposes by his master. These “soldiers” were often traded between landowners and were, in a sense, the equivalent of modern mercenaries, with the important difference that they were not free to choose their employer. The early firearm being carried in this depiction appears to have a “wheellock” ignition system, which did not exist in Germany until around 1620, making this particular Landsknecht one of the last of his kind.